The Cities Sprinter electric locomotives for Amtrak are based on Siemens’ Eurosprinter and Vectron models. They are equipped to operate on the three line voltages 25 kV, 12.5 kV and 12 kV and develop an output rating of up to 6.4 MW. Consequently, they can reach a substantially higher performance level than the predecessor models. By operating trains up to 18 cars long at a top speed of 200 km/h (about 125 mph), Amtrak will now be able to run trains at closer headways and carry a considerably higher number of passengers on the same route.

Amtrak CitiesSprinter: news

2016

2016-06-27

[US] The last one: Amtrak 670 had its test run to Boston

update 2016|06|27

[US] The last one: Amtrak 670 had its test run to Boston

Indeed, an Amtrak ACS-64 locomotive with no. 666 does not exist, due to superstition. Also, the 666 number does not look good on a locomotive, when something bad happens to the machine. Negative publicity and so on...

So the very last ACS-64 for Amtrak is the designated 670. On 23.06.2016 the machine completed its first test run to Boston. Thank you Rob Pisani for the image.

[US] The final Amtrak ACS-64 locomotive had its roll-out, delivery completed

update 2016|06|07

[US] The final Amtrak ACS-64 locomotive had its roll-out, delivery completed

On 02.06.2016, Amtrak and Siemens celebrated the completion of the 70th and final Amtrak Cities Sprinter (ACS-64) electric locomotive at the company's rail manufacturing hub in Sacramento (California, USA). The milestone marks the culmination of a more than five-year partnership as the final high-efficiency locomotive heads to the Northeast Corridor for commissioning and revenue service. The locomotive, built by Siemens in Sacramento with components from more than 60 U.S. suppliers, is part of a new fleet of 70 high-efficiency vehicles that have helped usher in a new era of mobility and improved performance and reliability along the heavily traveled Northeast and Keystone Corridors. - Siemens

Railcolor: The first Amtrak ACS-64 has nummer 600. The final one is no. 670. Normally this would mean there are 71 units, but Siemens and Amtrak just have 70. We expect that there is no. 666, the number of beast is not welcome in Amtrak's fleet. Note that also no.601 is missing these days as this machine was severely damaged in the Philadelphia train crash in May 2015.

Just after its call in Philadelphia, Amtrak no. 627 and its passenger train hit a construction vehicle on the tracks. Two persons were killed, 31 were wounded. The locomotive derailed. Images here. Thanks Thomas Wohlfarth.
Amtrak CitiesSprinter

This week Amtrak 642 performed the usual road testing that is required before any unit enters revenue service. This involves a round trip from Philadelphia to Harrisburg "Keystone Corridor" and then a two-day round trip from Washington, D.C. to Boston, MA on the Northeast Corridor. The title image shows the 642 on 10.06.2015 traveling north to Boston with a 3-car test train. This unit is unique in that it wears a special paint scheme in honor of United States military veterans. The slogan on the side reads "America's Railroad Salutes our Veterans" and there a link to Amtrak's employment web site included near the cab doors.

Up till now we have been a bit holding back on the big train accident in Philadelphia, USA, of last week. You may have heard about it. It is always difficult to write a good message about such a horrible event. Our condolences go out to all people that are suffering from this accident.

And there is always a lot of speculation in the beginning (too fast, hit by something etc). The FBI is investigating now. This article shows the locomotive (Amtrak no. 601) that has been pulling the train, of which many carriages have been destroyed.

In the second week of November, Amtrak's CitiesSprinter no.600 (in the US they call this locomotive the 'class unit' of its series) got a name: David L. Gunn. Mr. Gunn is former president of the US train operator.

Now we have an image of the locomotive, with name, shoving "Keystone Service" train 664 to New York Penn Station. This train originates in Harrisburg (PA). - RP
Amtrak CitiesSprinter

2014-10-21

[USA] Amtrak Cities Sprinter now also on Pennsylvania’s Keystone Services

update 2014|10|21

[USA] Amtrak Cities Sprinter now also on Pennsylvania’s Keystone Services

Since 20.10.2014, commuters from Philadelphia to Harrisburg were the first to ride on a Keystone Service train powered by the Siemens-built Amtrak Cities Sprinter (ACS-64) locomotive. From Harrisburg to New York, the ACS-64 locomotives will bring new, state-of-the-art equipment and technology to the line.

Since 2006, ridership on the Keystone Service has grown to more than one million passengers per year, up 60 percent, and we couldn’t be prouder that our ACS-64 workhorse locomotives are being introduced to further improve ridership.

Earlier this year, Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx helped kick-off the ACS-64 going into service along the heavily-traveled Northeast Corridor. As the 70 locomotives continue to be built at our solar-powered, Siemens’ manufacturing hub in Sacramento, and make their way to the East Coast, they will replace older equipment with between 25 and 35 years of service and average of more than 3.5 million miles traveled along both the NEC and Keystone Corridor lines.

Siemens announced today that it has started a 15-year technical support and spare parts supply agreement with the U.S. passenger rail operator Amtrak for its 70 new Siemens ACS-64 electric locomotives in operation on the Northeast Corridor. This is Siemens’ largest technical support contract for passenger locomotives to-date in the U.S. In 2010, Amtrak ordered 70 Amtrak Cities Sprinter electric locomotives from Siemens. The first locomotives are already in passenger service.

The 125-mph locomotives being serviced are manufactured at Siemens’ Sacramento CA plant. Siemens’ proven track record in more than 50 maintenance contracts around the world ensures reliability and availability along Amtrak’s most highly-traveled route, the Northeast Corridor between Boston and Washington DC.

As part of this agreement, Siemens technicians will be on-site at four locations (Boston, New York City, Wilmington DE and Washington DC) to provide technical expertise, spare parts and engineering support. These crews also will be utilizing Siemens remote monitoring, which analyzes data sent wirelessly from each locomotive and enables proactive condition-based maintenance. - Siemens

Yesterday, Siemens did a big announcement. For the first time it will be building passenger train coaches for the US-market. For operator All Aboard Florida (AAF) the manufacturer will built diesel trains with a topspeed of 125 mph (!).

AAF starts with the procurement of five sets of four single deck coaches and a locomotive at each end. Later on, they want to extend these trains to seven coaches. Five additional trains are also planned.

The locomotives used for these trains are the new Siemens Charger machines. 32 units were ordered previously by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

The order comes with various press images and videos. They give us a nice peak into the Siemens factory in Sacramento, where currently the CitiesSprinter locomotives for Amtrak are being built.

The main image shows a test run of the brand new Amtrak 606. This will be the 5th unit to enter service if all goes well. Apparently there are some issues with 604 (although being accepted) and 605, and 600 through 603 are already in service now. If unit 606 is accepted, it will be used in through service from Washington, D.C. to Boston. The current group of ACS-64s is only in operation between Washington and New York.

The second image shows 603 on 01.05.2014 in Edison, NJ on train 129. This Northeast Regional train is a regular New York to Washington, D.C. afternoon assignment for ACS-64s. - RP
Amtrak CitiesSprinter

Revenue services with the new Amtrak Cities Sprinter locomotives have started. The image above shows Amtrak 600 heading north for Boston with a short three-car consist after appearing at a "launch event" at Philadelphia's 30th Street Station earlier in the day.

On 07.02.2014, the same locomotive hauled the first regular train. It departed Boston at 8:15am with Northeast Regional train 171. - RP

Read the complete press statement here. Watch the news videos on the Siemens USA website here.
First of 70 Amtrak locomotives manufactured at Siemens plant in Sacramento set to begin passenger service today. Yesterday, Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx specahed during the official presentation of the new locomotives. They emphasized the importance of this next-generation rail transportation for the country's infrastructure.

In a commemorative ceremony held at Philadelphia's 30th Street rail station, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx joined Siemens and Amtrak executives to debut the first Siemens-built electric locomotive for Amtrak, the nation's intercity passenger rail service and high-speed rail operator.

Amtrak awarded Siemens a $466 million (€338 million) contract in October 2010 to deliver 70 electric locomotives. For Siemens, this order marked the company's entry into the American locomotive market.
The locomotives, known as the Amtrak Cities Sprinter, are being assembled at Siemens' solar-powered rail manufacturing plant in Sacramento (California). The equipment includes parts built from Siemens plants in Norwood (Ohio), Alpharetta (Georgia), and Richland (Mississippi), and nearly 70 other suppliers, representing more than 60 cities and 23 states.

This short video shows Amtrak ACS-64 no. 602 during a nightly test run over the NEC between Wilmington, Delaware and Newark (NJ). The 602 hauls a Amfleet passenger coach and a P42 series diesel locomotive. It is the first time we see this type of locomotive on the US public rail network. - acelaphillies

On 28.07.2013, Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman, Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Szabo and Siemens Rail Systems President Michael Cahill traveled to the U.S Department of Transportation (DOT) Transportation Technology Center (TTC) facility in Pueblo, Colorado, to get an update on the testing program and to observe a testing demonstration."These locomotives are the new workhorses of the Amtrak fleet in the Northeast and they must meet our performance-based specifications and reliability needs so we can keep the region's people and economy moving," said Boardman.
(..)
Two locomotives are at the TTC facility to undergo a series of tests, including maximum speed runs, acceleration and braking, operating with Amtrak passenger coach cars attached and testing the overall performance capabilities of the locomotive. Engineers are also validating the on-board computer system and software, as well as evaluate ride quality by using instruments to measure things such as noise and wheel vibrations.

In addition to the robust testing regime at TTC, a third locomotive will run field tests on the Northeast and Keystone Corridors this summer and be used for training Amtrak locomotive engineers and mechanical crews. A fourth locomotive will be tested in a climate-controlled chamber to determine how well it performs in extreme heat and cold temperatures.

Amtrak informs the world using many channels: "Today our new Amtrak Cities Sprinter (ACS-64) locomotive leaves the Siemens rail manufacturing plant in Sacramento to head east for field testing. Equipped with a custom train wrap, the ACS-64 (Railcolor: no.602) will travel on our California Zephyr and Capitol Limited routes before arriving at its final destination in Wilmington, Delaware. Once there, the new locmotive will complete a variety of tests along the Northeast and Keystone Corridors."
Amtrak CitiesSprinter

Siemens: The first “Amtrak Cities Sprinter” type electric locomotive for our customer Amtrak has just rolled out of the manufacturing plant. The U.S. intercity passenger rail service had placed a €338 million ($466 million) order with Siemens for 70 electric locomotives in October 2010. By securing this order, Siemens has succeeded in selling its locomotives to the American market for the first time. The first units will be field tested this summer for entry into revenue service in the fall. The last of these units are due to be handed over to Amtrak as of the end of 2015.

The Cities Sprinter (ACS-64) units are part of a comprehensive fleet replacement strategy that is planned for the next 14 years and which Amtrak is launching in its passenger rail service on the Northeast Corridor (NEC). Linking Boston and Washington, this corridor is one of the most heavily traveled long-distance routes in den USA. The new locomotives are to replace electric units that have been in operation for 20 to 30 years and will therefore play a major role in the modernization and expansion of the Amtrak equipment.

“The new Amtrak locomotives will help power the economic future of the Northeast region, provide more reliable and efficient service for passengers, and support the rebirth of rail manufacturing in America,” said Amtrak President and CEO Joseph Boardman. “Built on the West Coast for service in the Northeast with suppliers from many states, businesses and workers from across the country are helping to modernize the locomotive fleet of America’s Railroad.”

“More and more Americans are parking their cars and choosing the comfort and convenience of trains, metros and streetcars as their preferred way of traveling. We’re proud of the innovations we’ve brought to passengers and commuters,” said Michael Cahill, president of Siemens Rail Systems Division in the U.S. “From downtown streetcar systems to regional, passenger rail lines, Siemens’ transportation solutions like the next-generation Amtrak locomotives enhance safety, boost efficiency and performance, and are built in America.”

The Cities Sprinter electric locomotives for Amtrak are based on Siemens’ Eurosprinter and Vectron models. They are equipped to operate on the three line voltages 25 kV, 12.5 kV and 12 kV and develop an output rating of up to 6.4 MW. Consequently, they can reach a substantially higher performance level than the predecessor models. By operating trains up to 18 cars long at a top speed of 200 km/h (about 125 mph), Amtrak will now be able to run trains at closer headways and carry a considerably higher number of passengers on the same route.

Furthermore, the new locomotives will come with a 1000 kW onboard power supply that ensures 100% redundancy. They will be designed for easier maintenance and use a regenerative braking system that will feed energy back into the power grid and enhance energy efficiency. The Cities Sprinters will meet the latest safety regulations and crashworthiness standards set by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).

The Amtrak Cities Sprinter locomotives will operate on the NEC along the Washington – New York – Boston route at speeds up to 200 km/h (about 125 mph) and on the Keystone Corridor from Philadelphia to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, at speeds up to 180 km/h (approx. 110 mph).

The Amtrak locomotives are being assembled mainly at Siemens’ manufacturing plant in Sacramento, California, with parts coming from various plants in Norwood, Ohio, Alpharetta, Georgia, and Richland, Mississippi, and from nearly 70 suppliers in more than 60 cities and 23 states.

The first three locomotives will undergo a comprehensive testing program this summer, including two at an U.S. Department of Transportation facility in Pueblo, Colorado, and one on the NEC.
Amtrak CitiesSprinter

2013-05-11

[USA] Amtrak publishes first Cities Sprinter picture

update 2013|05|11

[USA] Amtrak publishes first Cities Sprinter picture

On several news websites, publishing about the 2012 fiscal year of Amtrak, an image has appeared of Amtrak Cities Sprinter (ACS-64) locomotive. An image of a fully painted body of the new generation of electrics for the United States.

A new rendering of the Amtrak ACS-64 has emerged. It provides a better image of the final design of the locomotive:

In 2010, Amtrak ordered seventy new electric locomotives from Siemens; the Amtram Cities Sprinter (ACS) 64. Delivery of the first unit is scheduled for the beginning of 2013. They will be used on the Nord-East Corridor (NEC) between Boston and Washington DC and run with speeds up to 125 mph. They will replace all AEM-7 (49 units) and HHP-8 (15 units) locomotives.

The construction of the ACS-64 is based on the Vectron platform for the European market. They share many components, although the US and European conditions do differ a lot. Biggest differences are the increased crash-worthiness of the ACS-64, AAR F couplings and special features to increase the comfort for the drivers, including a microwave/fridge and a WC-cubicle.

The ACS-64 is a triple voltage AC-locomotive; 25kV 60Hz AC, 12,5kV 60Hz AC and 12kV 25Hz AC. Regenerative braking up to 100% of rated power is possible.

The first ten body shells, and many components, are built in Munich-Allach (DE) right now. However, the majority of the construction work will be done in Sacramento (USA). Siemens therefore complies to the 'Buy American' requirements for such projects. - Siemens/Railvolution.
Amtrak CitiesSprinter

2010

2010-10-29

[US] Amtrak orders 70 new electrics from Siemens

update 2010|10|29

[US] Amtrak orders 70 new electrics from Siemens

Amtrak from the United States will order 70 new electrics from Siemens. Total value 0.5 billion dollar and to be built in the US of A. This article features a design impression of the new Amtrak Cities Sprinter ACS-64, that finally will replace the AEM-7 and HHP-8 locomotives.

Now there is a press-statement from Siemens: Amtrak, the U.S. passenger rail operator, has finalized an agreement with Siemens for the delivery of 70 Amtrak Cities Sprinter electric locomotives worth round EUR 338 million (US $466 million). By securing this order, Siemens has succeeded in selling its locomotives to the American market for the first time. The U.S. locomotive market recently has shown an average order volume of around €1.5 billion per year. The first vehicles will be delivered in 2013. Read more.Amtrak CitiesSprinter